


It's Cute When We Panic

by mousapelli



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-18 14:21:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18701365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mousapelli/pseuds/mousapelli
Summary: Abe thought that whatever's going on with him and Mihashi just looked gay from the outside, until he gets a real smile out of Mihashi for the first time.





	It's Cute When We Panic

**Author's Note:**

> Written for 2018 SportsFest, Bonus Round 4 (screencaps).

Abe Takaya is a pretty smart guy, if he does say so himself. He wasn't entirely unaware that whatever has been going on between him and Mihashi is, let's face it, not the most normal high school friendship. Mihashi needs so much reassurance and attention, and Abe's been telling himself that it's all right if it seems weird or gay from the outside, because after what Mihashi's been through in middle school of course what it takes to help him is a lot. He doesn't even mind it; it's nice to feel depended on, nice to see Mihashi gradually creeping out of his shell one millimeter at a time.

But when Mihashi gives him that smile, that first real smile, Abe locks up. For a second, he can't move, he can't think, he only sucks in a breath when Tajima slaps a hand down on his shoulder. Mihashi has already turned to talk to someone else, but Abe can still see that smile, still feel the crackle of electricity it sent through him.

"Dude, you are so gone," Tajima laughs, his volume conversational which for him is the same as whispering. Abe looks up to give him a dirty look. "Don't worry about it, man, it's pretty understandable. When he loosens up, even a little, he's cute, right?"

Nearby, Mihashi squawked suddenly about whatever Hanai was saying to him, flapping his hands, face pink.

"He's cute when he panics, too, I guess," Tajima says.

"Would you get lost?" Abe demands, shoving Tajima back. "Get me some more iced tea if you want to be useful."

"Yeah, yeah," Tajima laughs, picking up Abe's empty glass on the way by.

After everyone is gone, Abe keeps on thinking about that, about Mihashi's smile and how nice it is to be needed and Tajima telling him he's so far gone. The thing is that Abe hasn't cared for the last few months whether what he and Mihashi looks gay.

But he might care, a little, if it actually is gay. Anybody would. It's a lot to think about. And it's probably not the best thing that could happen in the entire world to Mihashi, who already looks like a shaking leaf that any strong breeze might blow right out of the prefecture.

"Hey, Abe-kun?" Mihashi asks when they're doing their math homework, or at least supposed to be doing it. Abe's been staring at a math problem for five solid minutes because the mild curve of the graph reminds him of Mihashi's smile.

Everything reminds him of that, this week. "Yeah?"

"I, um…" Mihashi looks downcast, nervous. It's been a while since he looked like that, when it's just the two of them in a quiet place. "It's…just…are you mad? About something?"

"What?" Abe asks, frowning. "No. Why would you think that?"

"You keep making a face," Mihashi mutters. "Like…" Mihashi scrunches up his eyebrows and purses his lips into a tight line. "Like that."

"Sorry," Abe says, torn between the cuteness of Mihashi doing a terrible impression of him and protesting that he doesn't look like that. "I was thinking about something."

"About me?" Mihashi asks. Abe thinks about denying it, but he's scolded Mihashi enough times about directness and honesty, so he nods. Mihashi seems to deflate. "Thought so." Abe wants to interrupt and ask what the heck he's talking about, but he struggles to wait for Mihashi to explain on his own. "Sorry. For being weird. I'm sorry I like you too much."

It's like the first smile, only worse; Abe's whole nervous system goes blank, his brain, everything. He tries to answer but only croaks out, "What?"

"Forget it," Mihashi says, dropping his hands into his lap and rubbing at his calluses. "I'll stop."

"DON'T!" Abe snaps, so loud Mihashi shrieks. "Don't stop. I like you too, so don't stop."

Mihashi hunches in on himself. "N-no, I meant…"

"Oh for pity's sake…" Abe reaches across to grab Mihashi's hand, threading their fingers together like he did on that first day, squeezing tight. Mihashi's hand is cold, just like then, and Abe wonders if he's going to ever, ever feel like he's making any progress with this guy. "I know what you meant. I'm saying, I like you too. Get it?"

"Oh!" Mihashi smiles for a startled split-second before it melts into tears like sugar into tea. "Oh no!"

Homework forgotten, Abe spends the next ten minutes trying to calm Mihashi down, but it's kind of nice to have Mihashi clinging to his waist, face muffled against his shirt. They'll keep working on it. Maybe someday they can get through a whole conversation without either one of them melting down.


End file.
